LENEXA, Kans. — The 46-year-old Holland man caught in a Kansas motel with a 16-year-old girl was charged with sexual exploitation of a child and harboring an underage runaway Tuesday after allegedly sending explicit photos over the internet before coming to visit her in person.
According to the victim’s mother, Richard Smith came to their house by cab around 2 a.m. Saturday and took her daughter to a motel just outside of Lenexa, Kans. She also says Smith claimed to be 16 online while talking to her daughter.
When the girl went missing, her mother claims that Smith sent her messages on Facebook pretending to be that same 16-year-old. She claims he wouldn’t let her talk to her daughter.
“I even said to him, please as a mother you should understand I want to talk to her, I want to hear her voice,” she said.
Because the age of consent in Kansas is 16, Richard Smith can’t be charged for having sex with the girl. Sending explicit photos to someone under 18 is still illegal in the state, however.
“It’s very awful and I want everybody out there to please always watch your kids on Facebook because there’s just so much out there,” the girl’s mother said.
